Visual Merchandising -Concepts Concerns- free essay sample

Visual Merchandising -Concepts Concerns- by Ramya Raamanathan Visual Merchandising -Concepts and ConcernsVisual Merchandising, Handloom Home Textiles-A Historical PerspectiveVisual Merchandising has been always one of the weakest aspects of Handloom and Home Textile marketing. For much of the time, Availability and opening of newer outlets was the prime objective rather than effective visual merchandising. Reach rather than visual quality of point of purchase was the consideration. Government ownership of many of the points of purchase did not help the matters either. Contemporary visual treatment of the store and the merchandise was seldom an acute concern for the government, eager to preserve its down to earth (read crude and rustic) image. Lately however thinking seems to have undergone a change and KVIC and other government retail shops are tuning into times. In the area of Handlooms and Home textiles, too the scene is not very different. Beginning with â€Å"bare† points of purchase and moving onto showrooms where display meant nothing more than visual exposure, now lately better retailers are considering effective visual merchandising a necessary must. Historically too, India has always had a rich tradition of visual merchandising. Visual merchandising as seen in Melas, Haats, Peths and festival specific shops, shows a rich and diverse context of visual merchandising. Tradition and Mythology have been creatively re-interpreted across generations for a fresh visual merchandising. Hopefully the flame of creativity founded on indigenous foundations and richness should get translated into modern hi-technology aided visual merchandising, as a continuing inspiration. Changing ScenarioWay back to several decades the handloom business was operated in â€Å"safe† ways could hold the market due to many reasons, one of major reasons was the people belonging to the generation of those times who saw Indian independence and their nostalgia towards it could hold back them to use it, another was being in least competitive era. But with the emergence of rapid growth and development in various textile sectors and up gradation of technological environment handloom had to face severe challenges due to threats arising from the industries. But to survive and to face those challenges the initiative taken were not adequate and the sector reached into it’s present form where now it has become a necessity to adopt contemporary mode for existence and if continuous adaptation in this regard is not done, those days are not far that it would soon be talked as an examples into business textbooks as an exotic categories that may vanish. Countries like china and others have been even adapting our techniques and offering much better quality products in much effective prices. What is the reason? The reason that’s much evident is handlooms still struggling with its limited approach and exposure that pertains to the changing demands. The inadequate attention leading from concept to consumer through various channels are not suffice and product keeps struggling at intermediate stages due to lack of resources that’s being build to support it. To get the benefits the ways that are evident to us are Either gets into the mode what globalization demands or Sells and creates an image that exposes to the richness of our own culture/tradition by emphasizing upon our strengths. Scope of visual merchandising in handloomsWhy there is a need of visual merchandising? It is often understood that It’s a methodology of displaying, but far more than that it means initiating the complete process to a customer instead buying a product to possessing it, and creating an â€Å"aura† that meets consumer expectation with their changing taste. In India the image of handlooms are still associated to old, classic and hand made coarse materials. It’s the high time that even government should understands the realities and take sustainable decisions to monitor the product management chain starting from extraction of raw material to design/product development to selling it or making it reach to the end users through various channels and interfaces. One of possible ways is through multi level retailing, and through tourism promotions for the clusters existing. Emphasizing upon special features these products has to offer with its cultural, traditional and historical significance, the visual merchandising can be on the models of either Department Stores, Heritage Parks or contemporary Haat like Dilli Haat. The Run of ProfitsValue chain in Home Textiles and Handlooms, displays today similar characteristics as are apparent in most mature businesses trying to appropriate new economy developments and increasingly ongoing globalization, that being profits moving in absolute and in margin terms towards the consumer end of the value chain. Retailing and Marketing have therefore emerged as the preferred points in the value chain of Home Textiles and Handlooms too, as in other sectors. Even as the downstream value points as spinning, weaving and processing struggle to survive, Retailing is booming as a sunrise sector in the country. Hence the importance of Retailing and further have Visual Merchandising which stands as an important facet of effective Retailing even for handicrafts and handlooms today. The New Competing AdvantagesThough the handloom product is in a way different from many other products. It’s technique, weave, the experimentation with colours and motifs and most importantly the cultural value of the weaver has to reflect yet today for survival and growth every business has been undergoing a profound change accompanying the change in the market character as well in Handlooms and Home Textiles. Brand, Design and Experience stand out as the new competing advantages, unfortunately however the eserved significance is hardly apportioned by Indian Business and particularly by this sector (handlooms) to it. Results are not difficult to see. There are hardly any strong brands or hardly any firm, which is renowned, the world over for the world-class design work that it does. Hardly also, there are stores where handloom and home textiles are retailed and the experience is memorable or uniquely distinct. Few stores as HOME HEARTH have tried to change the course of stat us but the effort is far too small to requirements. It is imperative hence for the sector and firms/Individuals therein, to appreciate the new competing advantages and appropriate them most effectively and herein would come the role of Integrated Brand and Design Firms and Institutions. Retailing, Visual Merchandising and Value, Margin additionsRetailers today are the envied lot thanks to their profits and margins and the same have been built up through providing of unique shopping experiences. Even as the Indian industry and firms are obsessed with the tangible aspects of the product like quality and price, intangible value addition through Brands and Retail experiences is emerging as the most effective of profit adders. Designer houses are perhaps showing a better appreciation of these realities. FabIndia and Bandhej and Designer brands like Rohit Bal and Ritu Kumar are extracting much value from the same Handloom fabrics which otherwise lie as a burdening inventory at government showrooms. KVICs recent foray into Shopper’s Stop is yet another of the instances where the above thesis stands validated. Contemporary Retail in this area has to focus upon Retail Experience and the same is constituted of – 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Visual Merchandising Audio Sensuality Management Olfactory sensuality Management Tactile sensuality Management Conceptual Brand/Thematic Experience Management In the context hence Visual Merchandising needs to be appreciated as a potent value adder to Retail experience and from there to profits. Visual MerchandisingVisual Merchandising is the means to communicate a store’s fashion, value, products, and quality message to prospective customers so as to entice them to buy from the store on a sustainable basis. . . Gini Frings Visual Merchandising is hence much more than functional configuration of space, layout and consumer flow, it also is a powerful communication and an experience enhancer and differentiator of the displayed merchandise even when product similarities are overwhelming. Aims of Visual Merchandise in Handloom and Home Textiles Visual Merchandise in Handloom and Home Textiles, aims at many objectives to be accomplished and the same below are enumerated†¢ Facilitating Functional Shopping ExperienceFacilitating functional shopping experience through optimizing display of varied thereby easing choices and sampling for the consumer. Visual Enhance Profitability †¢Generate Experience Experience generation pertains to stimulation and management of the entire domain of the consumer’s senses and managing sensuality so as to be congruent with the consumer’s desires. Visual Merchandising helps manage the visual senses and thereby affect/constitute experience generation in etailing. †¢Strengthen the Brand/Identity If properly managed with due design congruence established, Visual Merchandise can add to the brand strength of the firms/cluster/zone whose brands are being retailed or the retail store brand where the experience occurs. Visual coherence however needs to be observed for achievin g visual merchandising-brand communications congruence. †¢Maximize Sales GenerationEffective visual merchandising helps in increasing sales through facilitation of consumer sampling and exposing the best of merchandise to the consumer. Sales have been proved to be effected by quality of visual merchandising, through many studies. †¢Help expansion of product categories through optimizing display of varied variantsEffective visual merchandising also packs more punch in the pack through an optimum display of merchandise. Thereby devouring empty spaces where not necessary, making it feasible to display a larger number of products and product categories, enhancing the probability of higher total spending in the store and hence contributes to profits. Jack up Corporate Image Corporate Image in handloom sector can also gets a boost like corporate brands if they get associations from effective visual merchandise of its products or if intra-store communications are adequately supported by store ambience and visual merchandise quality. Effective Visual Merchandising EmploymentVisual Merchandise in Handloom and Home Textiles needs to be customized and employed with discretion when dealing with Boutiques, Specialty Stores , Departmental Stores and Store in Store points. Visual Merchandise is as much a function of Merchandise Aesthetics and their Configuration as much it is a function of accompanying complementing elements of the overarching Multi-sensory Ambience created. Visual Merchandise is also strongly a function of the Merchandise or the Store Itself. Visual merchandising Merchandise Seasons-Plans and schedulesSeasons Seasons in visual merchandising determine the promotional calendar for developing themes for the visual presentations. There are broadly two international seasons across Fashion and Textile Product Categories, that normally are followed, viz. †¢ †¢ Spring and summer Fall and winters VM and Merchandise PromotionVM often has to support and be in congruence with promotional intentions and the same across the year occur under various contexts and schemes. Some of the main promotional occasions are listed under where customized VM has to be employed. Holiday promotionsInternational Festival/Holidays- Promotion for regular m erchandise occurs at, holidays/festivals. The opportunities are1. Valentine’s day: Displays are usually set up two weeks prior with RED and HEART as principle visual elements. . Easter: Three weeks prior to Easter, Stores stock up Home goods along and spring flowers. Children’s stores stock up eatables on props and attention catching chocolates, eggs, bunnies. Chickens are often used at times as props. 3. Christmas: One of the most important festivals across the world, on this day, Christmas tree, stars, santaclause, bells, raindeer and like elements are used as props. The whole ambience is soaked in red, green, snow white and gold. Lots of gliteratti and music is released the favourite instrument used being piano and guitar. Surprise Gift packs are kept waiting for customers. Indian festivals/holidays 1. Garba: One of the most important festivals in Gujarat, on this occasion, stores in the state undergo a change in the flavour of visual merchandise display and themes are put up depicting Krishna and Radha or depicting the goddess Ambe and her victory over demons. The whole ambience is filled with traditional ras-garba fervor. 2. Kite flying: The ambience is decorated with the various color of kite and bright colors fill the ambience. The festival signifies the change in the position of sun in the celestial orbits and the same is often seen at larger stores, making for the ambience. Special sales For purposes of stock clearance, odd lot clearance, rejects clearances and unsold stock clearances, different visual merchandise is set up which is hardly of high standards. Since the objective is maximum display for maximum clearance and more so the display being extremely short lived, visual merchandising here mostly borders on store stacking of merchandise, however innovative approach to the same has resulted in multifold increases in clearances. Thematic VM As in case of Selfridges, UK, where two festivals have been held in the last two years, being Tokyo Life and Bollywood bash, VM can turn completely thematic and then for the time of the festival or adherence to the theme, VM has to observe the overarching thematic dictates. Life expectancy of Visual DisplaysLife of a Visual Merchandise display for Handloom and Home Textiles should be ideally between one month to three months in the Indian context since the product life cycle of the said products is much longer compared to say garments. Furthermore the following suggestions ought to be kept in mind concerning the same/ 1. Continuity of personnel involved should be maintained when it comes to overseeing the change in displays and putting up the same 2. Periodic change has to be forced, since it assures better coordination between departments and helps increase the promotion of merchandise. 3. A reasonable period of time for a display, assures that the customer gets aquatinted with most of the stock a store has to offer. 4. Too long a period for a display results in items being too long on display and they then appear as faded, rusty, dingy and cannot be sold as a first quality merchandise. 5. Displays are most conspicuous part of the store and hence they should be kept interesting and fresh Types of Visual Merchandise Displays Window display Window display essentially has to reflect corporate identity and should be visually powerful to invite, as †I must posses it†. These are broadly of two types depending on the back end of the display put up1. Closed-back window displays 2. Open back window displays Interior display It should relate to the theme seen in the windows, it effects the movement and traffic of customers and should lead to a total, effective and ergonomic visual concept of the store aiding a pleasant experience. The trend away from window Isolated displays are less frequently in use as too much of time and expense and far from the merchandise to which they relates. However as means of non-store visual merchandising, especially at Airports, leading premium end stores often puts up isolated visual merchandise displays. Point of purchase Display It refers to a display or merchandise presentation at the point where an act of purchase happens and the sale is made. The display is designed to promote a particular product or brand name. Industrial and Exhibition Visual Merchandising- Industrial and Exhibition visual merchandising refers to many formats of visual merchandising and the same are below given along with specifics in brackets, further detailing the visual merchandise displays. 1. 2. 3. 4. Permanent exhibits (Craft and heritage museums) Temporary exhibits (handicraft/ handloom fairs E. g. Organized by EPCH) Travelling Displays (mobile promotions) Out door exhibits (sponsored parks and store maintained public places like â€Å"Dilli Haat† and â€Å"Heritage park† in kolkata) 5. Industrial Products Visual Merchandising (At Factory gates or outlets) E- Visual Merchandising- an emerging visual technology trend E visual merchandising has emerged as one of the most novel and versatile of visual merchandising formats and the same is employed either on the net or over a screen in the store. Varied interfaces are designed for an optimum interface of the consumer with the visual merchandise (virtual tours etc. . What cannot be achieved in real tangible domain can be created in the realm of virtual reality with the help of technological devices equipments and softwares, hence the high value add through a surreal addition to the tangible merchandise. Handloom too has to achieve broader exposures of products/merchandise through these means/channels and shall establis h into the segment through the most reachable medium today. Variables in VMVariables in visual merchandising are many and the objectives they have for meeting are also varied. An enumeration of the variables if below given followed by objectives that may be achieved by their effective management in the related sector1. Lighting conditions impacting merchandise viewing †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ To attract the customers attention To create an appropriate mood for the merchandise To contribute to a positive visual image of the merchandise To allow careful inspection of the merchandise 2. Signage’s Visual and graphic form of communication in letters or any recognizable symbol that gives a message to customer in terms of stores/outlet image as well as for a smooth flow. 1. To assist customer in their flow across the store. 2. To lead the customers in newer sections opened in the store if any 3. Through Color and contrast, add to the visual ambience of the store Most employed Signage techniques are Silk screening, Sign machines and some other signage techniques (cut outs, hand-lettering, calligraphy) Aesthetic factual of the merchandise Often the aesthetic factual of the merchandise impose some constraints and conditions upon the overall visual merchandise design. Some of the factors in the context are1. 2. 3. 4. Look of the product (Area or zonal craft/country side/young/ethnic etc. Print/texture/color or other embellishment (Batik, tie-dye, Ikat, embroidery etc. ) Style/details (ruffled/straight/buttons/cut/fastening etc. ) Fabrics (hand/feel/drape for hand-woven or handknitted) Structural Interior Decor of the store Overall structural interior decor (based on either 16th or 17th century architecture or mythology or contemporary India) of the store ne edless to say is a major guide to the overall design and implementation of the visual merchandise display. Some of the issues in the context bear mentioning are1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Island displays Counters Display cases Ledges Columns Enclosed display Furniture’s Wall/floor color Window DisplaysWindow displays play an important part in visual merchandising and some of the objectives of window displays, is to create the following1. 2. 3. 4. Impact Image Theme Composition Product categories in the store, relative space allocation and mutual placementNo. Of product categories in the store, the percentage space allotted to each category, the volume of merchandise in each category and the relative placement of each category versus others, often determines which merchandise gets the maximum of customer attention. Hence the importance of this variable. Often it’s observed in the handloom shops /outlet that Chaos is created due to mixed merchandise placement, and product attention reduces. PropsProp characteristics are also important in determining the overall look and feel of visual merchandise display. Props can be made of different material, in varied forms and sizes. Three important characteristics of the props used which affect the visual merchandise quality are1. Material 2. Form 3. Size/shape Packaging of products/MerchandiseIf product/ merchandise has to be packaged appropriately, that it adds value to a product. Packaging with type and graphic design again changes the entire approach towards the product range. Special and Other effectsSpecial high-tech effects and other effects generated by Entertaining gadgets also add to the overall visual merchandise display and ambience of the store. Chief elements, which fall under this ambit, are below listed. These kinds of establishments are yet far of imagination to where handloom sector is concerned1. 2. 3. 4. Movement/animation Audio-visual Live Action Audience involvement Aesthetic Elementals in VMImportant aesthetic elementals in visual merchandising, from a design point of view are the following and the same need effective design management for generating an enriching experience. †¢Shape- symmetry, composition and grouping †¢Complementing aesthetic elements- lighting, warmth, colour †¢Product display †¢Layout- space, height, shelving, flow of goods, fixtures and fittings †¢Design- co-ordination, lifestyle, theme †¢Complementing aesthetic elements-lighting, warmth, colour Store Layouts VM Store layouts to a great deal form the framework for visual merchandise design and deployment. Three basic structures are employed as frameworks for it and they areOpenIn Open structure, consumer flow from one product category space into another is clear and open and often facilitated through appropriate interior design. Demarcation or specialization of spaces is least employed here. GridClosed spaces are used here in accordance with the placement and display of products and product categories and enough privacy s conferred upon each of the product categories. When the assortment in the store is such that the product categories stored, varies widely then such separation is employed. BoutiqueUnlike the above two, this arrangement does not deal with separate spaces for differing product categories, rather all of them are placed near to each other and very accessible to the consumer from either side. Such treatment of spaces becomes possible thanks to the small size of boutiques and by nature their focus on a particular or few related product categories. Virtual Visual MerchandisingVirtual Visual Merchandising is a promising high-tech and emerging technique of Visual Merchandising. It may either be practiced by the e-stores on the net or may be used on computer monitors or screens in the stores themselves. Needless to say the dynamics, and spatial dynamics here are much different then otherwise and virtual reality techniques and special effects often add to the effects of visual merchandising and overall store experience. VM a differentiator Visual Merchandising in the context of Handloom and Home Textiles offers itself as a potent differentiator in that when other product parameters stored in store are comparable, Visual merchandising also provides a differentiated shopping experience and hence increases the probability of brands getting purchased at the point of differentiating experience. Visual Merchandising also differentiates a showroom from an organized retailer. Visual merchandising adds value to many products where Prices are not universal and the same is highly profitable when it comes to store brands and private labels. Dynamic Visual MerchandisingWhile ambience generated is objective, its interpretation is subjective and conditioned by the psychic make up of the consumer. Further, there arises Visual Fatigue, when a consumer is exposed repeatedly to the same multi-sensory ambience. It is hence essential that a dynamic multi-sensory ambience be created so as to encounter effectively the factor of fatigue and provide freshness to retail. Brand Nuances VM When designing a VM experience for KVIC, we had to factor in the brand associations consumers have for Khadi, similarly Brand Images and associations have to be carefully counted for before Visual Merchandising designs can be finalized. Brand projections have to be congruent with Experiences created and in the context worth appreciating is the work of Zegna. Brand projections alter the experience of the ambience created in the store and hence not only strategic visual coherence has to be respected across all communications but also conceptual congruence needs to be built, appreciated and often re-inforced. Naturalism and native aesthetics is of utmost importance to be observed and hence the necessity for an indigenous aesthetic research with a reference to consumer experiences Visual Merchandising ProblemsOften arising problems in the area of visual merchandising are either of the belowToo much quantity on displayToo much quantity on display reduces the comfort levels of consumers and reduces his delight in the store. It also does not help him functionally purchase goods for most seem to him not relevant. Also here time taken to sample goes up exponentially and hence total purchase is often reduced. Inadequate DisplayInadequate display is just as adversely affecting as too much of display. If the best is not shown, why should the customer feel drawn? Also if display is not enough it does not tempt the consumer to sample and finally purchase. Confusing DisplayConfusing display where classification of products and product categories is not respected, often leads to incoherence at the end of the consumer and takes away his moods of decisiveness for purchase. It also gives competition a greater score. One product category overshadowing the otherIn departmental or life style stores when one product category overshadows another, the shadowed category naturally not only suffers lesser sales and profits but also a loss of image which later reflects in the long run Color distortion in the store leading to consumer grievancesColour distortion often leads to sharp complaints from consumers of being cheated and being passed off, products, which they did not intend to buy. It reduces the re-purchase on the part of the consumer and hence affects the store image and sales. Lack of brand congruence of the visual look and feel createdIt leads not to immediate reduction in sale but in long term dilution of brand equity of product brands displayed through a confusion created in the design graphics and conceptual associations conveyed at the point of purchase. Visual coherence and conceptual coherence are hence important to observe while designing visual merchandising specifics. World Class creations in VMWorld class visual merchandising creations can be seen at some places listed below. Also given in brackets are the specifics of interest in their contexts. Company/Brand Name Zuchhi VM Specialty Company Owned store Company created VM and Ermanegildo Zegna Designer Brand, Minimalistic and Unique VM Thematic VM during Tokyo life and Bollywood Bash Rich and Premium store VM Connoisseur and Arty Display Fruity delightful VM Functional Self Ridges Debenhams European Museums Mango Pantaloons home textiles VM Failures in IndiaTwo failures in the area of Visual Merchandising in India are given below along with the cause/facet of their VM that has made them a failure. Company/Brand Name Vimal Saga Shakuntal Cause/facet of failure on VM front Looks like a street corner shop/showroom Appears too costly than is No congruence between Merchandise and Thematic Ambience designed Indian Lessons in VM India has been rich always in its Visual Merchandising although the corporate retail phenomenon is a relatively new one. Visual Merchandising has been practised through times immemorial. Craft products, Paintings, Hangers and other elements have been always used to create an aesthetic or thematic Visual Merchandising ambience. It is profitable hence to explore the mythological and cultural and symbolic aesthetic richness of our civilizational nation. This forms the first lesson for Visual Merchandising and more specifically the thematic visual merchandising. Further it is necessary to remember that Visual Merchandise is only a part of the larger Visual Experience. In this context it is necessary to factor in specific Indian choices and here our experience suggest us to1. Respect softness and the light of colours 2. Employ Paintings, Sculpture, Craft products enrich the ambience and Visual Merchandising 3. Respect traditional symbolism and mythological richness of native nation Hopefully an appreciation and practice of visual merchandising anchored in the Indian cultural matrix shall enrich march of Indian business in life style retailing to begin with, expanding slowly to encompass retail experience as a whole. Further Readings 1. Brand and collective brands, the path through design (Vaidya, 2002) 2. Fashion Marketing and Merchandising, Bohlinger 3. Fashion, From concept to consumer, Gene Fringe 4. POP Communications, A conceptual model based on shopper expectations, P K Sinha, MICA 5. Visual Planning, the power of thinking visually, Journal of Brand Management, Vol. 6, No. 5, pp. 161-173 6. Visual Merchandise and Display, second edition, Martin M. Pelger

Fantasy free essay sample

An examination of Russian composer Piotr Ilych Tchaikovskys Fantasy an adaption of Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet. The writer of this paper presents five elements that must be analyzed to understand and underline the Romantic nature of this composers work. Firstly, one must consider the storytelling use of the sonata form of the Fantasy. Secondly, one must consider the way in which the sonata was considered by the composer to be an Overture, a work that gives a summary or a miniature of a larger story or musical work. Thirdly, the tone color of the music must be analyzed. And fourthly and fifthly the timber and texture the work must also be reflected upon to understand the opulent quality of the music that renders it characteristic of the Romantic period during which Tchaikovsky composed music. According to the musicologist E.T.A. Hoffman, the Romantic period of Western music was characterized by the fantastic, idealistic, and marvelous. We will write a custom essay sample on Fantasy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He states that such qualities are associated with the romance, a medieval tale or poem about heroes or events written in one of the languages descended from Latin. (Cited in Grout Palisca 563) Tchaikovksys choice to use the story of Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet as the title of his Fantasy underlines the importance of Romantic thought in the orchestration of the composition. Rather than simply expanding upon or working within sonata form, defined as an ambitious work in several movements for one or two solo instruments,

The Conflict Between Individual And State And The Grammatical Fiction

The Conflict Between Individual and State and the Grammatical Fiction in Darkness At Noon The Conflict Between Individual and State and the Grammatical Fiction in Darkness At Noon The Conflict Between the Individual and the State and the Grammatical Fiction in Darkness At Noon "The Party denied the free will of an individual-and at the same time exacted his willing self-sacrifice." The obvious contradiction of the above definition of the Communist party is depicts the conflict between the individual and the State in Arthur Koestler's novel Darkness at Noon. Koestler's protagonist Nicolas Salamanovich Rubashov, devout communist and former leader of the Communist party, falls victim to his own system during the time of the Moscow trials. Accused and imprisoned for crimes he did not commit, Rubashov is forced to choose between the ideology he has faithfully followed for the past forty years of his life, or a new found sense of self, which he calls the "grammatical fiction". During the beginning of Rubashov's solitary incarceration, he begins to doubt the infallibility of the Communist regime, and for a time, views himself independent from the Party. Rubashov's pulling away from Communism is evident in his conversation with the examining magistrate, Ivanov, during his first hearing. Rubashov addresses Ivanov's collective viewpoint with the developing views of his own: "Your argument is somewhat anachronistic," said Rubashov. "As you quite rightly remarked, we were accustomed always to use the plural ?we' and to avoid as far as possible the first person singular. I have rather lost the habit of this form of speech; you stick to it. But who is this ?we' in whose name you speak to-day? It needs re-defining. That is the point." Apart from the Party, Rubashov no longer functions as part of the Communist unit, but rather as an individual. Within communist doctrine the individual is only a piece of a larger system, and for the true communist the pronoun ?I' is not even part of his or her vocabulary. Rather, the personal ?I' is replaced by ?we', which represents the Party. The significance of Rubashov's statement is that even his speech patterns, a physical manifestation of one's subconscious, display his self-detachment from the Communist Party in that he has lost his ability to associate with the communist We. Over and over Rubashov is tormented by the idea "I shall pay", an unrest due to his uncertainty about the foundation of Communism he has placed himself on. Shortly after his first hearing he writes in his diary "The fact is: I no longer believe in my infallibility. That is why I am lost." It is evident that he is beginning to take personal responsibility for the actions he has committed on behalf of the Party, the people that he has betrayed and the seemingly absurd doctrines he has readily submitted to. Both Rubashov's mental disquiet, and his observable, critical actions are owed to his new found recognition of himself as an individual, a loophole in Communist doctrine. All his life Rubashov had "burnt the remains of the old illogical morality from his consciousness", and was unaware that ideas outside of those expressed by the Party had any logical basis. He once thought that any other view was irrational and false. In his cell waiting to be taken to his execution, Rubashov reflects on his former devotion to the Party: For in a struggle one must have both legs firmly planted on the earth. The Party had taught one how to do it. The infinite was a politically suspect quantity, and the "I" a suspect quality. The Party did not recognize its existence. The definition of an individual was a multitude of one million divided by one million. As a Communist he had sacrificed his individuality for the benefit of the Party, and forty years later he had lost the capability to even think outside the lines of the Party's dogmas. He had denied the individual within himself, which is why he is confused at the emergence of his "silent partner", the free-thinking individual within himself. His conscious self had been founded in the ?we', until he was imprisoned. Facing death, Rubashov realizes the destructiveness of a political system that doesn't account for the individual. No longer confused by his apathy for the Party, Rubashov's final hours are marked by a fatalistic mindset and an internal sense of peace. In Rubashov's conversation with Ivanov during Rubashov's second hearing, Ivanov states: "The greatest temptaion for the like of us is: to renounce violence, to repent, to make peace with oneself". Ivanov represents rubashov's former viewpoint. However, no longer subject to the repressive Communist order,

Free Essays on Capital Punishment And Our Nation

The issue of capital punishment has forever torn our nation. As many plead for the undoubted necessity of it, others pity the cruelty of such an act. Looking beyond this primary disagreement, justice cannot be served until the debate on capital punishment is resolved and all states have come to agree that the death penalty is the best way to stop crime completely. Many people who are against capital punishment are only thinking of the criminal and how cruel it is for them. But, shouldn’t we think of the families that are broken apart now because of the merciless acts of these criminals? Think of Susan Smith, how she knowingly drove her car off into a lake with her two children strapped to the seats. Think of how they must have felt as the cold water started to fill the cabin of the car, and then ultimately drown them. Barbaric is exactly the word I would use to describe her actions. But yet, the jury rejected the death penalty and chose a life sentence instead. But, was it justice that she was not put to death for killing her two children? How could someone possibly let her off the hook of such a crime? They said it would be just as bad for her to be in that cell alone because of her depression, but does it justify her cutting short the lives of the two children, who had no idea of their oncoming death? If we give up our punishing a deadly criminal, then we throw our society into chaos and let the criminals freely do as they please. I would know that I was safe if anyone that tried to fatally harm me would be put to death. But in this society when someone can kill someone, get sentenced to life, get paroled and then be freed to go about and do the same crime again frankly scares me. Another thing that scares me is the fact that this country has softened up on criminals. Right now, everyone has a right to appeal their conduct even though you go against the law and is put in prison; you are supposed to be stripped of... Free Essays on Capital Punishment And Our Nation Free Essays on Capital Punishment And Our Nation The issue of capital punishment has forever torn our nation. As many plead for the undoubted necessity of it, others pity the cruelty of such an act. Looking beyond this primary disagreement, justice cannot be served until the debate on capital punishment is resolved and all states have come to agree that the death penalty is the best way to stop crime completely. Many people who are against capital punishment are only thinking of the criminal and how cruel it is for them. But, shouldn’t we think of the families that are broken apart now because of the merciless acts of these criminals? Think of Susan Smith, how she knowingly drove her car off into a lake with her two children strapped to the seats. Think of how they must have felt as the cold water started to fill the cabin of the car, and then ultimately drown them. Barbaric is exactly the word I would use to describe her actions. But yet, the jury rejected the death penalty and chose a life sentence instead. But, was it justice that she was not put to death for killing her two children? How could someone possibly let her off the hook of such a crime? They said it would be just as bad for her to be in that cell alone because of her depression, but does it justify her cutting short the lives of the two children, who had no idea of their oncoming death? If we give up our punishing a deadly criminal, then we throw our society into chaos and let the criminals freely do as they please. I would know that I was safe if anyone that tried to fatally harm me would be put to death. But in this society when someone can kill someone, get sentenced to life, get paroled and then be freed to go about and do the same crime again frankly scares me. Another thing that scares me is the fact that this country has softened up on criminals. Right now, everyone has a right to appeal their conduct even though you go against the law and is put in prison; you are supposed to be stripped of...

Committee on Public Information, Americas WWI Propaganda Agency

Committee on Public Information, America's WWI Propaganda Agency The Committee on Public Information was a government agency created during World War I to distribute information intended to influence public opinion to inspire support for Americas entry in the war. The organization was essentially a propaganda arm of the federal government, and was presented to the public and the Congress as a reasonable alternative to government censorship of war news. The administration of Woodrow Wilson believed a government office dedicated to providing favorable publicity for the cause of entering the war was necessary. Americans had never sent an army to Europe. And joining the war on the side of Britain and France was a concept that needed to be sold to the public the way an ordinary consumer product might be sold. Key Takeaways: Committee on Public Information Government propaganda agency was created to convince American public of the necessity of the U.S. entering World War I.Public and Congress believed that the CPI would ensure no censorship of the press, and that reliable information would be provided.Agency provided tens of thousands of public speakers, arranged events to sell bonds and promote the war, created posters, and published booklets.Following the war there was a backlash against the agency, and excesses of war fervor were blamed on it. In its few years of operation, the Committee on Public Information (CPI) fed material to newspapers and magazines, commissioned advertising campaigns, and produced propaganda posters. It even arranged for thousands of public speakers to appear all over the country, making the case for Americans to fight in Europe. Overcoming Skepticism A rationale for creating the CPI, as it became known, was rooted in controversies which arose in 1916, when the U.S. government was becoming increasingly concerned with suspected spies and saboteurs. Woodrow Wilson’s attorney general, Thomas Gregory, proposed controlling the flow of information by censoring the press. Congress resisted that idea, as did newspaper publishers and members of the public. In early 1917, with the issue of censoring the press still being discussed, a magazine writer with a reputation as a crusading muckraker, George Creel, wrote to President Wilson. Creel proposed forming a committee that would provide information to the press. By having the press voluntarily agree to being fed information it would avoid censorship. Forming the Committee Creel’s idea found favor with Wilson and his top advisers, and by executive order Wilson created the committee. Besides Creel, the committee included the Secretary of State, Secretary of War, and Secretary of the Navy (what today would be the Defense Department was still split between Army and Navy departments). The formation of the committee was announced in April 1917. In a front-page story on April 15, 1917, the New York Times reported that the three cabinet secretaries on the committee had sent President Wilson a letter, which was made public. In the letter, the three officials said America’s great present needs are confidence, enthusiasm, and service. The letter also stated: While there is much that is properly secret in connection with the departments of the government, the total is small compared to the vast amounts of information that is right and proper for the people to have. George Creel, head of the United States Committee on Public Information. Time Life Pictures / Getty Images The letter also put forth the idea that two functions, identified as â€Å"censorship and publicity,† could happily coexist. George Creel would be the head of the committee, and could operate as a government censor, but it was assumed that the newspapers would happily accept war news as distributed by the government and would not have to be censored. CPI Key Messages and Techniques Creel quickly got to work. During 1917, the CPI organized a speaker’s bureau, which dispatched more than 20,000 individuals (some accounts give much higher numbers) to give short speeches supporting the American war effort. The speakers became known as The Four-Minute Men for the brevity of their speeches. The effort was successful, and gatherings from club meetings to public performances, soon featured a speaker talking of America’s duty to join the war in Europe. The New York Times, on December 30, 1917, published a story about the Four-Minute Men which indicated how common they had become: â€Å"The work of the Four-Minute Men has recently been extended to that representative speakers appear weekly in almost every moving picture house. The subject matter is prepared and the speaking is directed from Washington†¦ In each state there is an organization of Four-Minute Men. â€Å"The number of speakers now totals 20,000. Their topics are matters of national importance connected with the war plans of the government.† Creel believed the more lurid stories of German atrocities would not be believed by the public. So in the early months of his operation he directed speakers to focus on how Americans would be fighting to support freedom and democracy in the face of German brutishness. By 1918 the CPI was urging its speakers to make use of wartime atrocity stories. One writer, Raymond D. Fosdick, reported seeing a church congregation cheer after a speaker described German atrocities and called for the German leader, Kaiser Wilhelm, to be boiled in oil. On February 4, 1918, the New York Times published a brief news story headlined Bar Hymns of Hate. The article said the CPI had sent out instructions to its Four-Minute Men to tone down extreme material. If Your Soldiers Hit Poster by E.M. Gean Jackson, a film by the Committee on Public Information. swim ink 2 llc  /  Getty Images The CPI also distributed a number of printed materials, beginning with booklets that made the case for war. A news story in June 1917 described the proposed â€Å"War Booklets,† and noted that 20,000 copies would be sent to newspapers nationwide while the Government Printing Office would print many more for general circulation. The first of the War Booklets, titled How the War Came to America, consisted of 32 pages of dense prose. The lengthy essay explained how it had become impossible for America to remain neutral, and that was followed by reprints of speeches by President Wilson. The booklet was not terribly engaging, but it got the official message out in a handy package for public circulation. More lively material was put out by the CPI’s Division of Pictorial Publicity. Posters produced by the office encouraged Americans, through the use of vivid illustrations, to work in war-related industries and buy war bonds. Controversies In the summer of 1917, newspaper publishers were shocked to learn the government had directed the companies controlling transatlantic telegraph traffic to divert cables to the CPI in Washington to be reviewed before they were routed to the newspaper offices. After an outcry, the practice was stopped, but it would be cited as an example of how Creel and his organization had a tendency to overstep. Creel, for his part, was known for having a bad temper, and often put himself into controversies. He insulted members of Congress, and was forced to apologize. And no less a public figure than Theodore Roosevelt, the former president, criticized the CPI. He claimed the agency had been trying to punish newspapers which had supported America entering the conflict but then had become skeptical of the administration’s conduct of the war. In May 1918, the New York Times published a lengthy story headlined Creel as a Recurrent Storm Centre. The article detailed various controversies Creel had found himself in. A sub-headline read: How the Governments Publicity Man Has Shown Himself an Adept at Getting Into Hot Water With the Congress and the Public. During the war the American public did become infused with a patriotic fervor, and that led to excesses, such as German-Americans being targeted for harassment and even violence. Critics believed official CPI booklets such as German War Practices were incitements. But George Creel and other defenders of the CPI, pointing out that private groups were also distributing propaganda materials, insisted the less responsible organizations had inspired any bad behavior. Impact of the Committee’s Work Theres no question that Creel and his committee had an impact. Americans came around to support intervention in the war, and participated widely in supporting the effort. The success of war bond drives, known as the Liberty Loan, was often attributed to the CPI. Yet the CPI came in for much criticism after the war, when it became clear that information had been manipulated. In addition, the war fervor stoked by Creel and his committee may have had an influence on events following the war, particularly the Red Scare of 1919 and the notorious Palmer Raids. George Creel wrote a book, How We Advertised America, in 1920. He defended his work during the war, and he continued to work as a writer and political operative until his death in 1953. Sources: The Creel Committee. American Decades, edited by Judith S. Baughman, et al., vol. 2: 1910-1919, Gale, 2001. Gale Virtual Reference Library.George Creel. Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed., vol. 4, Gale, 2004, pp. 304-305. Gale Virtual Reference Library.

Feasibility study of a business Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Feasibility study of a business - Research Paper Example There are restaurants however the quality, taste and service of these restaurants are not up to the mark. And even if, there are good quality restaurants, then they charge too high prices therefore it becomes difficult for people to go to restaurants on a regular basis. These opportunities would allow the newly introduced restaurant, Hamara Khana to make a mark in the UAE food mark. United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one of the growing countries in the world particularly in the Middle East Region. Investors around the world have been evaluating the feasibility of investing in the country (Gimbel, 2007). There are several opportunities available for investors and for businesses. Because of advantageous business conditions in the country, UAE is considered as the 14th best country in the world to start a business according to the report published by World Bank (Economy Rankings, 2011). The lifestyle and living standard of UAE has improved over the years (Human Development Report, 2010). This report analyses the opportunities that are prevailing in the United Arab Emirates market for opening a new restaurant. Almost 60% of the total population of UAE comprises of South Asians which includes Pakistanis, Indians, Bangladeshis, Chinese, Thai etc (National Bureau of Statistics, 2010) and therefore this report identifies and evaluates the feasibility of opening a new South Asian Restaurant particular that offers foods to Pakistani and Indians as both are high in numbers in UAE. The name of the restaurant is ‘Hamara Khana’ which means Our Food in Hindi (National Language of India) and in Urdu (National Language of Pakistan). Although, there are few restaurants offering food for South Asians however the market still looks promising and therefore this report will analyse the feasibility of opening a small restaurant in UAE. The idea of the business is to start a new restaurant, Hamara Khana. The restaurant would be offering

Sales Management&The Salesman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sales Management&The Salesman - Essay Example They are explained below. Any manager or a person who is an essential part of a company will want maximum utility of their product. When the salesman sold the most expensive and top-of-the-range software to a 2-man antique shop then the product was way beyond their needs since they needed a simple accounting software and people have a habit of talking bad about a product when it is of no use to them. Since word of mouth is a very string advertising technique that decides the success or failure of a company. It can turn a star product into a useless dog if let loose or not used effectively. Since there is no coming back in this technique because once the company's image goes down the drain the effects are fatal. Another reason can be the irresponsibility of the salesman. A good salesman must think out of the box and it is their duty to help the customer find the best product. If the salesman is able to attract the customer with his skills then the next step is influencing the customer enough to create brand loyalty. Further brand loyalty can be cashed at every step of the selling process. But the salesman in this case, being a star salesman for some reason failed to fulfil this requirement. Lastly, such blunders can spoil the brand image of the company.